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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — music
  7. hand — help
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rash — a series
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rest — a break
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com